collateral damage · • contrast • repetition • alignment • proximity let’s get started!...

CollateralDamage

Easy Ways to Make OverYour Marketing Material

Presented by:Jennifer PickettAugust 19, 2009forNASMM University

Is This For You?

2

• This session is for anyone who needs to design pages but hasno formal background in design.

• You don’t have the time or interests to study design ortypography but you want your pages to look better.

• You can identify what you like and what you don’t, but youdo not know how to fix it.

My Promise to You...• This class will not take the place of design school and you will,

most likely, not become a brilliant designer. However...

• You will never look at a page in the same way again.

• If you follow the principles I will outline today, your work willlook more professional, organized, unified and interesting!

The 4 Basic Principles Are CRAPA memorable - but very inappropriate acronym

• Contrast• Repetition• Alignment• Proximity

Let’s Get Started!

Proximity

3

Proximity vs. The Fear of White Space.

The principle of proximity states that you group related itemstogether, move them physically close to each other, so related items areseen as one cohesive group rather than a bunch of unrelated bits.

Items that are not related should not be in close proximity to the otherelements which gives your reader an instant visual clue as to the organi-zation and content of the page.

See the illustration below:

Jennifer Pickett 630.531.7510

JP DESIGN

911 N. Elm Street Hinsdale, IL

! Does your eye top five times?Where do you begin reading?What do you read next?What happens when you get to the bottom right corner?Do your eyes wander around making sure you didn’t missany corners?


JP DESIGN

911 N. Elm Street Hinsdale, IL

! Have I confused you further?Now where do you begin?Do you start in the center?Do you know where to start or finish?

JP DesignJennifer Pickett

911 N. Elm StreetHinsdale, IL

630.531.7510

! Is there any question about where you should beginreading now?

Do you know when you’ve gotten to the end?

Grouping related items together - putting them in closerproximity pulls the card together and makes it visuallyorganized.

Proximity

4

CD ROMChildren’s CDsEducational CDsEntertainment CDsLaser DiscsEducationalEarly learningLanguage ArtsScienceMathTeacher ToolsBooksTeacher ToolsVideosHardware & AccessoriesCablesInput DevicesMass StorageMemoryModemsPrinters & SuppliesVideo and Sound

When you create a flyer, brochure, newsletter, you know which pieces of informa-tion are logically connected, you know which information should be emphasizedand what should be de-emphasized. Express that information by graphicallygrouping it.

CD ROMChildren’s CDsEducational CDsEntertainment CDsLaser Discs

EDUCATIONALEarly learningLanguage ArtsScienceMath

TEACHER TOOLSBooksTeacher ToolsVideos

HARDWARE &ACCESSORIES

CablesInput DevicesMass StorageMemoryModemsPrinters & SuppliesVideo and Sound

" Obviously the first list needs some formatting to make it understandable. But the biggest problem with this list is thateverything is close to everything else so there is no way to see the relationships or the organization. By putting thesame list into visual groups - (I’m sure you do this already - but do it consciously and with more strength!) This can bedone by adding some contrast to the headlines and repeated that contrast and the rule (line underneath).

Proximity

5

Sometimes when grouping like items in close proximity, you need to make somechanges such as the size or weight or placement of text or graphics. Text does not haveto be 12 point! Information that is subsidiary to the main message such as the volumenumber and year of the newsletter can often be as small as 7 or 8 pt.

The idea of proximity doesn’t mean that everything is closer together. It means ele-ments that are intellectually connected, that have some sort of communication relation-ship, should also be visually connected. Other separate elements or groups of elementsshould not be in close proximity. The closeness or lack of closeness indicates therelationship.

! Not only is this page visually boring - it is difficult to find theinformation - exactly what’s going on - where it is etc.

! This information was first intellectually grouped together,then physically set in groups on the page. Notice thespacing between the three performances is the same,indicting that these three groups are somehow related.The subsidiary information is farther away - you can tell it’snot one of the performances.

Proximity

6

Proximity is really just a matter of being a little more conscious, of doing what you donaturally, but pushing the concept a little further. Once you become aware of theimportance of the relationships between lines of type, you will start noticing its effect.Once you start noticing the effect, you own it, you have power over it, you are incontrol.

Rarely is applying the principle of proximity the only answer to a problematic page.The other three principles are intrinsic to the design process and you will usually findyourself using all four. Take them one at a time - start with Proximity.

! Although it looks clever - the information is all in one big hunk.By arranging the information before going to design - groupthe important items together and then play with them on thepage.

! This is only one of several possibilities for arranging theinformation. Additionally, the principles of alignment andcontrast are also used.

Proximity

7

Summary

When several items are in close proximity to each other - they become one visualunit rather than several separate units. Items relating to each other should begrouped together. Be conscious of where your eye is going, where do you startlooking; what paths do you follow; where do you end up...

After you’ve read it, where does your eye go next? You should be able to follow alogical progression through the piece from a definite beginning to end.

The basic purpose of proximity is to organize. Other principles come into play aswell, but simply grouping related elements together into close proximity automati-cally creates organization. If the information is organized, it is more likely to be readand more likely to be remembered. As a by-product of organizing the communica-tion, you also create more appealing more organized white space - ( a designer’sfavorite term!)

How to Get ItSuint your eyes slightly and count the number of visual elements on the page bycounting the number of times your eye stops. Generally, if there are more thanthree to five items on a page, see which of the separate elements can be groupedtogether into closer proximity to become one visual unit.

What to Avoid• Too many separate elements on a page.• Sticking things in the corner and in the middle• Leaving equal amounts of white space between elements unless each group is part

of a subset - (see the chamber music ad)• Confusion over whether a headline, subhead, graphic belongs with it’s related

material.• Creating relationships with elements that do not belong together.

Alignment

8

The principle of alignment states that nothing should be placed on the pagearbitrarily. Every item should have a visual connection with something else on thepage.

The principle of alignment forces you to be more conscious - no longer can you justthrow things on the page wherever there happens to be room.

Let’s go back to the example of the business cards we looked at earlier.


JP DESIGN

911 N. Elm Street Hinsdale, IL 60521

JP DESIGNJennifer Pickett

911 N. Elm StreetHinsdale, IL 60521

630.531.7510


911 N. Elm StreetHinsdale, IL 60521

630.531.7510

! The elements on this card look like they were thrown upthere and stuck. No one of the elements has anyconnection with any other element of the card.

! Using the principle of proximity, this example has a nicearrangement with the text logically grouped. The text iscenter-aligned over itself, and centered on the page.

! This has the same, logical arrangement, but is now right-aligned. The text items now have a common boundarytogether and there is a strong invisible line connectingthe edges of these two groups of text.

Alignment

9

Not everything needs to be centered...

Centered alignments• More Formal Look• Ordinary• Sedate• Dull

Beginners want to center - but break away and see what combining a strongflush right or left alignment with good use of proximity can do and you will beamazed at the change in your work.

Annual Report

National Associationof Senior Move Managers

presented byJennifer Pickett

February 8, 2008

Annual Report

National Association ofSenior Move Managers

presented byJennifer PickettFebruary 8, 2008

! This is standard - dull and almost amateurish in its look -Which may influence someone’s initial reaction to thisreport.

! This strong, flush-left alignment gives the report cover amore sophisticated impression. Even though the author’sname is far from the title, that invisible line connects the twoblocks of text.

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Alignment

10

If you must center - be conscious of the effect a centered alignment has.

Add a bit of twist on the centered arrangement - such as centering type,but setting the block of type off center.


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5:30 pm

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Saturday .February 13, 2010

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Saturday .February 13, 2010

5:30 pm


! Centered - Dull

! Experiment with making it more dramatic - byuncentering the block of type and making to moredramatic.

Alignment

11

Generally, you should stick to using one text alignment on the page - either all text isflush left, flush right or centered.

The text is flush left.Some people call itquad left,or you can sayit is left aligned.

This text is flush rightSome people call it

quad right,or you can say

it is right aligned.

This text is centeredIf you are going to

center textmake it obvious.

See, in this paragraph it isdifficult to tell if this textwas centered purposelyor perhaps accidentally.The line lengths are not

the same, but they are notreally different. If you can’tinstantly tell that the typeis centered, why bother?

This text is justified. Some people call it quad left andright, and some call itblocked - the text lines up on both sides. Whatever youcall it, don’t do it unlessyour line length is long enough to avoid awkward gapsbetween the words.

Sometimes you can get away with using both flush right and flush lefton the same page - but make sure you align them in some way!

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! In the example on the left, the titleand subtitle are flush left, but thedescription is centered - there is nocommon alignment between the twoelements of text. They don’t have anyconnection to each other.

Although we have used two align-ments in the example on the right -the top is flush left and the bottom isflush right - the edge of the descrip-tive text at the bottom aligns with thetitle above, connecting the elementswith an invisible line. This was not anaccident.

Alignment

12

A problem with many non-designers’ publications is a subtle lack of alignment, suchas centered headlines, and subheads over indented paragraphs. At first glance -which of the examples presents a clearer and sharper image?

NASMM ELECTSOne quite irascible

aardvark kisses five lampstands.The almost putrid Macintosheslaughed, yet one fountainperused umpteen speedy aard-varks.

Two wart hogs com-fortably sacrificed umpteenquixotic dogs.

The progressivedwarves ran away cleverly,because two mostly obeseMacintoshes gossips extremelycomfortably, yet Springfieldgrew up, although Santa Clausannoyingly bought the irasciblemats, even though two almostangst-ridden elephants fightsfiveTwo trailers grew up drunk-enly.

PAY DUES BY 1/1Five partly quixotic tele-

visions quite easily abused onecat, however the chrysanthe-mums untangles two extremelyspeedy botulisms. Five poisonsfights umpteen aardvarks.

Two obese mats com-fortably telephoned one botu-lism, yet the putrid televisionsgrew up.

CONFERENCE NEWSOne quite irascible

aardvark kisses five lampstands.The almost putrid Macintosheslaughed, yet one fountainperused umpteen speedy aard-varks.

Two wart hogs com-fortably sacrificed umpteenquixotic dogs.

UPCOMING EVENTSFive partly quixotic televisionsquite easily abused one cat,however the chrysanthemumsuntangles two extremelyspeedy botulisms. Five poisonsfights umpteen aardvarks.

Two obese mats com-fortably telephoned one botu-lism, yet the putrid televisionsgrew up.

One angst-riddenpawnbroker towed umpteen

NASMM ELECTSOne quite irascible aardvark kiss-es five lampstands. The almostputrid Macintoshes laughed,yet one fountain perusedumpteen speedy aardvarks.

Two wart hogs comfortablysacrificed umpteen quixoticdogs.

The progressive dwarves ranaway cleverly, because twomostly obese Macintoshes gos-sips extremely comfortably, yetSpringfield grew up, althoughSanta Claus annoyingly boughtthe irascible mats, even thoughtwo almost angst-ridden ele-phants fights five. Two trailersgrew up drunkenly.

PAY DUES BY 1/1Five partly quixotic televisionsquite easily abused one cat,however the chrysanthemumsuntangles two extremely speedybotulisms. Five poisons fightsumpteen aardvarks.

Two obese mats comfortablytelephoned one botulism, yetthe putrid televisions grew up.One angst-ridden pawnbrokertowed umpteen mostly

CONFERENCE NEWSOne quite irascible aardvarkkisses five lampstands. Thealmost putrid Macintosheslaughed, yet one fountainperused umpteen speedyaardvarks. Two wart hogscomfortably sacrificedumpteen quixotic dogs.

UPCOMING EVENTSFive partly quixotic televisionsquite easily abused one cat,however the chrysanthemumsuntangles two extremelyspeedy botulisms. Five poi-sons fights umpteen aard-varks.

Two obese mats comfortablytelephoned one botulism, yetthe putrid televisions grewup.

" This is a common sight - headlines are centered - text isflush left, paragraph indents are ‘typewriter” wide and thephoto is centered.

NEVER center headlines over flush left body copy or textthat has an indent. All these un-aligned spots create amessy page.

! Find a strong alignment and stick to it. If the text is flush left, set theheads and subheads flush left.

First paragraphs are not traditionally indented - and if you do chooseto indent subsequent paragraphs - they should not be indented fivespaces. With proportional type - the standard typographic indent is anern (an ern is as wide as the point size of your type - which is more liketwo spaces) I like a standard first indent of .125”

Be conscious of the ragged edge of your type. (Don’t use a hardreturn at the end of the line, when adjusting, use a shift return.) Adjustthe lines so your right edge is smooth. If there are photographs orillustrations, align them with an edge and/or baseline.

Alignment

13

If your alignments are strong - then you can break through the alignments consciouslyand it will look intentional. See below:

NASMM ELECTSOne quite irascible aardvark kissesfive lampstands. The almost putridMacintosheslaughed, yet one foun-tain perused umpteen speedy aard-varks. Two wart hogs comfortablysacrificed umpteen quixotic dogs.

The progres-sive dwarvesran away clev-erly, because

two mostly obese Macintoshes gos-sips extremely comfortably, yetSpringfield grew up, although SantaClaus annoyingly bought the irasci-ble mats, even though two almostangst-ridden elephants fights five.Two trailers grew up drunkenly.

PAY DUES BY 1/1Five partly quixotic televisions quiteeasily abused one cat, however thechrysanthemums untangles twoextremely speedy botulisms. Five poi-sons fights umpteen aardvarks.

Two obese mats comfortably tele-phoned one botulism, yet the putridtelevisions grew up. One angst-rid-den pawnbroker towed umpteenmostly. Two orifices gossips almostcleverly. Five aardvarks auctioned offone ticket, even though umpteencats untangles one television, howev-er Kermit tastes five angst-ridden poi-sons, because Darin boughtMacintoshes. Two quite progressivewart hogs untangles fountains. Onesubway almost annoyingly kisses

CONFERENCE NEWSOne quite irascible aardvarkkisses five lampstands. Thealmost putrid Macintosheslaughed, yet one fountainperused umpteen speedyaardvarks. Two wart hogscomfortably sacrifice umpteenquixotic dogs. Pluto almostlamely towed putrid dwarves.Umpteen purple orifices grewup noisily, however twoextremely silly dogs laughed.Five aardvarks kisses two mats.

The quixotic botulism tele-phoned five lampstands, thenone purple sheep sacrificedMercury. Irascible dogslaughed, and two fountainseasily perused the putrid ele-phan Dan gossips.

UPCOMING EVENTSThe television drunkenly kissestwo trailers, then five ticketslamely telephoned umpteensubways. The almost bour-geois poison abused Batman.Two dogs easily untanglesumpteen fountains, yet twodwarves telephoned extremelyschizophrenic pawnbrokers.Two very angst-ridden matscleverly fights five wart hogs.Quite bourgeois orificesbought two slightly schizo-phrenic subways, howeverpurple chrysanthemums auc-tioned off umpteen botulisms,

MOVING MATTERS TO NASMM MEMBERS!

Two wart hogs comfortably sacrificedumpteen quixotic dogs.

" Even though that inset piece is breaking into the text block, can you see where it is aligned on the left?

Alignment

14

Summary

Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every element should have somevisual connection with another element on the page.

Unity is an important concept in design. To make all the elements on the pageappear to be unified, connected and interrelated, there needs to be some visual tiebetween the separate elements. Even if the separate elements are not physically closeon the page, they can appear connected, related and unified with the other informa-tion simply by their placement. Take a look at designs you like. No matter how wildand chaotic a well-designed piece may initially appear, you can always find alignmentswithin.

The basic purpose of alignment is to unify and organize the page. It is often a strongalignment (combined, of course with appropriate typeface) that creates a sophisticat-ed look, or a formal look, a fun look or a serious look.

How to Get ItBe conscious of where you place elements. Always find something else on the page toalign with, even if the two objects are physically far away from each other.

What to Avoid• Using more that one text alignment on the page (that is, don’t center some text andright align other)

• Using centered alignments unless you are consciously trying to create a more formal,sedate (often dull??) presentation. Choose a centered alignment consciously, not bydefault!



630.531.7510

Repetition

15

The principle of repetition states that you repeat some aspect of the designthroughout the entire piece. The repetitive element may be a bold font, a thickrule (line), a certain bullet, color, design element, particular format, spatial relation-ships, etc. It can be anything that a ready will visually recognize.

You already use repetition in your work - headlines that are the same size, type andweight, using the same bullet. What beginners need to do is push this idea further -turn that inconspicuous repetition into a key visual key that ties the publicationtogether.

Repetition goes beyond just being naturally consistent - it is a conscious effort tounify all parts of the design.

Let’s go back to the business cards...



630.531.7510

" When you get to the end of the information, does your eyejust wander off the card?

" Now when you get to the end of the information, where doesyour eye go? Do you find that it bounces back and forthbetween the bold type elements?

By adding the same bold type to the phone number - wehave used a little visual trick to keep your attention on thepage as long as possible.

Repetition

16

NASMM NEWSOne quite irascible aardvark kissesfive lampstands. The almost putridMacintoshes laughed, yet one foun-tain perused umpteen speedy aard-varks. Two wart hogs comfortablysacrificed umpteen quixotic dogs.

The progressive dwarves ran awaycleverly, because two mostly obeseMacintoshes gossips extremely com-fortably, yet Springfield grew up,although Santa Claus annoyinglybought the irascible mats, eventhough two almost angst-ridden ele-phants fights fiveTwo trailers grew updrunkenly.


Two obese mats comfortably tele-phoned one botulism, yet the putridtelevisions grew up. One angst-rid-den pawnbroker towed umpteenmostly Five putrid lampstands towedumpteen bourgeois subways, eventhough Santa Claus ran away, thentwo televisions perused umpteen bot-ulisms, even though one extremely

CONFERENCE NEWSOne quite irascible aardvark kissesfive lampstands. The almost putridMacintoshes laughed, yet one foun-tain perused umpteen speedy aard-varks.

Two wart hogs comfortably sacri-ficed umpteen quixotic dogs.

UPCOMING EVENTSFive partly quixotic televisionsquiteeasily abused one cat, however thechrysanthemumuntangles twoextremely speedy botulisms. Fivepoisons fights umpteen aardvarks.

Two obese mats comfortably tele-phoned one botulism, yet the putridtelevisions grew up.One angst-rid-den pawnbroker towed umpteenmostly. One almost angst-riddenMacintosh tickled umpteen quixoticsheep.

Darin ran away quickly, althoughtelevisions abused Phil, because fiveirascible mats kisses schizophrenicbotulisms.

The slightly silly dogs marries oneirascible pawnbroker. The sheeptelephoned one subway. Umpteenorifices kisses two schizophrenic

NASMM NEWSOne quite irascible aardvark kissesfive lampstands. The almost putridMacintoshes laughed,yet one fountain perused umpteenspeedy aardvarks. Two wart hogscomfortably sacrificed umpteenquixotic dogs.

The progressive dwarves ran awaycleverly, because two mostly obeseMacintoshes gossips extremely com-fortably, yet Springfield grew up,although Santa Claus annoyinglybought the irascible mats, eventhough two almost angst-ridden ele-phants fights five. Two trailers grewup drunkenly.


Two obese mats comfortably tele-phoned one botulism, yet the putridtelevisions grew up.One angst-ridden pawnbroker towedumpteen mostly. The chrysanthe-mums ran away very drunkenly,although one quixotic television tick-led umpteen subways.

CONFERENCE NEWSOne quite irascible aardvark kissesfive lampstands. The almostputrid Macintoshes laughed, yetone fountain perused umpteenspeedy aardvarks. Two wart hogscomfortably sacrificed umpteenquixotic dogs.

UPCOMING EVENTSFive partly quixotic televisionsquite easily abused one cat, how-ever the chrysanthemums untan-gles two extremely speedy botu-lisms. Five poisons fights umpteenaardvarks. Two obese mats com-fortably telephoned one botulism,yet the putrid televisions grew up.One angst-ridden pawnbrokertowed umpteen mostly. One botu-lism telephoned the subway, eventhough one aardvark bought theJabberwockies, because dwarvestastes one subway, but Jupiterfights Klingons. Santa Clausbought two speedy lampstands.One mat tastes putrid sheep, andfive poisons fights almost progres-sive dwarves, although twoquixotic botulisms kisses the warthog.

Umpteen speedy tickets gossipsnoisily, even though five botulismstelephoned one very quixotic dog,

" Headlines and subheads are a good place to start for creatingrepetitive elements since you are probably consistent withthem anyway!

! Take that consistent element and make it stronger!

Take advantage of the elements you’re already using to make a project consistent andturn those elements into repetitive graphic symbols. By effective use of type you canmake your page more visually interesting, and you also increase the visual organiza-tion and the consistency by making it more obvious. You are taking the repetitionyou have already built into the project and pushing it so it is stronger and moredynamic.

Repetition

17

To create a consistent business package with a business card, letterhead and enve-lope, use a strong display of repetition, not only within each piece, but between allthe pieces. You want the person who receives the letter to know you are the sameperson who gave them a business card last week. And create a layout that allowsyou to align the printed letter with some element in the stationery design.

JPDESIGN

911 N. Elm Street

Hinsdale

Illinois

60521

660033..553311..77551100

JP

DESIGN

Jennifer PickettOwner

911 N. Elm StreetHinsdale,

Illinois

60521

660033..553311..77551100

911 N. Elm StreetHinsdale

Illinois60521

JP

DESIGN

" You can see that a letter typed with a strong left alignment would create a strong impression on this page.

Repetition

18

Repetition helps organize the information; it helps guide the reader through thepages; it helps unify disparate parts of the design. Even on a one-page document,repetitive elements establish a sophisticated continuity. If you are creating severalone-page documents that are part of a comprehensive package. It is critical that you employ repetition.

JENNIFER PICKETTMarketing, Creative Services, Corporate Event Planning

EMPLOYMENT• National Association of Senior Move Managers , 2007 - Present• Life Services Network, 1993 - 2007• Butler University, 1989-1992• Union Station, 1987-1989

EDUCATION• Illinois Institute of Art - Certification in Digital Graphic

Design - 2003• Albion College - BA, Speech Communication - 1987

FAMILY• Married• Five Daughters

FAVORITE QUOTE• “Everything in Moderation, Nothing to Excess”

" Repetitions: Bold typefaceLight TypefaceCircular BulletsIndentsSpacingAlignments

Repetition

19

It sa wildteaparty!

!

!

please join us

may 1

3 o’clock

in the

afternoon

wear yourhat!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

If there’s an element that strikes your fancy - go with it! Perhaps it is a piece of clipart or a picture font. Fee free to add something completely new simply for the pur-pose of repetition. Or take a sample element and use it in various ways - differentsizes, colors, angles. Sometimes repeated items are not exactly the same objects, butobjects so closely related that their connection is very clear.

" It’s fun and effective to pull an element out of a graphic and repeat it. This little triangular motif could be applied to other related materials including envelopes, response cards, printednapkins etc. and everything would be a cohesive unit, even without repeating the whole teapot.

Repetition

20

Summary

A repetition of visual elements through out the design unifies and strengthens a pieceby tying together otherwise separate parts. Repetition is very useful on one-pagepieces and is critical in multi-page documents (where we often call it being consistent.)

The Basic PurposeThe purpose of repetition is to unify and to add visual interest. Don’t underestimatethe visual interest of a page - if a piece looks interesting it is more likely to be read.

How to Get ItThink of repetition as being consistent, which I’m sure you are already. Then push theexisting consistencies a little further - can you turn some of those consistent elementsinto part of the conscious graphic design, as with the the headline? Do you use a 1-point rule at the bottom of each page or under each heading? Try using a 4-point ruleinstead to make the repetitive element stronger and more dramatic.

Then take a look at the possibility of adding elements just to create a repetition. doyou have a numbered list of items? How about using a distinctive font or a reversednumber and then repeating that treatment throughout every numbered list in yourdesign. At first, simply find existing repetitions and then strengthen them. As you getused to the idea and the look, start to create repetitions to enhance the design and theclarity of the information.

What to Avoid• Avoid repeating the element so much that it becomes annoying or overwhelming. Be conscious of the value of contrast (the next principle we will discuss.)

Contrast

21

The principle of contrast states that if you two items are not exactly the same,then make them different, really different. Contrast is one of the most effec-tive ways to add visual interest to your page - a striking interest that makes you wantto look at the page and to create an organizational hierarchy among different ele-ments. The important rule to remember is that for contrast to be effective - it mustbe strong - don’t be a wimp.

Contrast is created when two elements are different. If the two elements are sort ofdifferent, you don't have contrast - you have conflict.

Contrast can be created in many ways. You can contrast large type with small type,a graceful oldstyle font with a bold sans serif font; a thin line with a thick line; a coolcolor with a warm color; a smooth texture with a rough texture; a horizontal element(such as a tall, narrow column of text) with a vertical element; widely spaced lineswith closely packed lines, a small graphic with a large graphic.

Pairing 12 point type with 14 point type is not contrast. You cannot contrast a half-point rule with a one point rule. You cannot contrast navy blue with black.

Contrast

22

If these two newsletters came across your desk, which one would you read first.They both have the same basic layout. They are both neat and contain the sameinformation on the page. The only major difference is contrast.

Exciting HeadlineOne quite irascible aardvark kissesfive lampstands. The almost putridMacintoshes laughed, yet one foun-tain perused umpteen speedy aard-varks. Two wart hogs comfortablysacrificed umpteen quixotic dogs.

The progressive dwarves ran awaycleverly, because two mostly obeseMacintoshes gossips extremely com-fortably, yet Springfield grew up,although Santa Claus annoyinglybought the irascible mats, eventhough two almost angst-ridden ele-phants fights fiveTwo trailers grew updrunkenly.

Thrilling SubheadFive partly quixotic televisions quiteeasily abused one cat, however thechrysanthemums untangles twoextremely speedy botulisms. Five poi-sons fights umpteen aardvarks.

Two obese mats comfortably tele-phoned one botulism, yet the putridtelevisions grew up. One angst-rid-den pawnbroker towed umpteenmostly Five putrid lampstands towed

Another ExcitingHeadlineOne quite irascible aardvark kissesfive lampstands. The almost putridMacintoshes laughed, yet one foun-tain perused umpteen speedy aard-varks.

Two wart hogs comfortably sacri-ficed umpteen quixotic dogs.

Boring Sub HeadFive partly quixotic televisionsquiteeasily abused one cat, however thechrysanthemumuntangles twoextremely speedy botulisms. Fivepoisons fights umpteen aardvarks.

Two obese mats comfortably tele-phoned one botulism, yet the putridtelevisions grew up.One angst-rid-den pawnbroker towed umpteenmostly. One almost angst-riddenMacintosh tickled umpteen quixoticsheep.

Darin ran away quickly, althoughtelevisions abused Phil, because fiveirascible mats kisses schizophrenicbotulisms.

Exciting HeadlineOne quite irascible aardvark kissesfive lampstands. The almost putridMacintoshes laughed, yet one fountain perused umpteenspeedy aardvarks. Two wart hogscomfortably sacrificed umpteenquixotic dogs.


Thrilling Sub HeadFive partly quixotic televisions quiteeasily abused one cat, however thechrysanthemums untangles twoextremely speedy botulisms. Five poi-sons fights umpteen aardvarks.

Two obese mats comfortably tele-phoned one botulism, yet the putridtelevisions grew up. One angst-rid-den pawnbroker towed umpteenmostly. The chrysanthemums ran

Exciting HeadlineOne quite irascible aardvark kissesfive lampstands. The almost putridMacintoshes laughed, yet one foun-tain perused umpteen speedy aard-varks. Two wart hogs comfortablysacrificed umpteen quixotic dogs.

Boring Sub HeadFive partly quixotic televisions quiteeasily abused one cat, however thechrysanthemums untangles twoextremely speedy botulisms. Fivepoisons fights umpteen aardvarks.Two obese mats comfortably tele-phoned one botulism, yet the putridtelevisions grew up.One angst-ridden pawnbrokertowed umpteen mostly. One botu-lism telephoned the subway, eventhough one aardvark bought theJabberwockies, because dwarvestastes one subway, but Jupiter fightsKlingons. Santa Claus bought twospeedy lampstands. One mat tastesputrid sheep, and five poisons fightsalmost progressive dwarves,although two quixotic botulismskisses the wart hog.

Umpteen speedy tickets gossipsnoisily, even though five botulisms

! Would you agree that your eyes are drawn to this page, rather than the one on the left?

ANOTHER NEWSLETTER!A u g u s t ~ 2 0 0 9

ANOTHER NEWSLETTER!A U G U S T • 2 0 0 8

" Nice, neat and nothing that attracts your eye to this page.

ContrastThe easiest way to add interesting contrast is with typefaces, but don’t forget aboutrules, colors, textures, spacing between elements etc. If you use a hairline rulebetween columns, use a strong 2 or 4 point rule when you need another, don’t use ahalf-point rule and a one point rule on the same page. If you use a second color,make sure the colors contrast - dark blue does not contrast with black.

The Rules of LifeYour attitude is your life.

Maximize your options.

Never take anything too seriously.

Don’t let the seeds stop you from enjoyin’ the watermelon.

Be nice.

The Rules of LifeYour attitude is your life.

Maximize your options.

Never take anything too seriously.

Don’t let the seeds stop you from enjoyin’ the watermelon.

Be nice.

" Good, strong contrast between the type faces, but the contrast between the rules is fuzzy. Are the rules supposed to be two different thicknesses? Or is it a mistake?

" Now that there is a bigger difference between the thicknesses of the rules, there is no risk of someone thinking you made a mistake. The entire table appears stronger and more sophisticated, you know where it begins and where it ends.

join nasmm!Representing the nation’sfinest senior move managers!

why join?Five speedy orificesdrunkenly auctioned offelephants, even thoughfive chrysanthemumsgossips. One pawnbrokeruntangles theFive ele-phants fights the bour-geois fountain, yet fiveobese wart hogs tastesthe chrysanthemums.

One dwarf perusedtwo extremely schizo

value!auctioned off two tickets,even though oneOnequixotic trailer comfort-ably perused two angst-ridden bureaux. Theschizophrenic botulismscleverly tickled umpteenobese dogs, however theslightly silly Macintoshestowed two very schizo-phrenic cats. Phil marriesthe

benefits!phrenic bureaux.Fivepurple televisions sacri-ficed one very speedyaardvark. Paul gossips.Dan perused angst-rid-den Jabberwockies, butthe aardvarks towedumpteen purple ele-phants, and two silly tick-ets gossips. Umpteenpartly bourgeois televi-sions laughed. One dwarf

criteriaeven though Batman ranaway, although cats tele-phoned five orifices. Catspartly drunkenly boughtone

for moreinformationextremely purple ticket.UmpteenMacintoshesThe poisonstelephoned Kermit.

get involved!speedy chrysanthemums,then one dog quickly tick-led twoUmpteen extremelyschizophrenic orificesuntangles two trailers.

how to applyThe mostly angst-riddensheep fights Paul. Twoquite putrid aardvarksbought Kermit,

If you use tall narrow columns in your newsletter, have a few strong headlines to cre-ate a contrasting horizontal direction across the page. Combine contrast with repeti-tion, as in the page numbers, headlines, rules or spatial arrangements to make astrong unifying identity throughout an entire publication.

! Besides the contrast in the typefaces in this postcard, there is also a contrast between the long, horizontal title and the tall, narrow vertical columns. The narrow columns are a repetitive element, as well as being a contrast.

Contrast

24

SummaryContrast on a page draws our eyes to it, our eyes like contrast. If you are putting twoelements on a page that are not the same, they cannot be similar. For contrast to beeffective the two elements must be very different.

The Basic PurposeThe purpose is two-fold, and both purposes are inextricable from each other. One pur-pose is to create an interest on the page, if a page is interesting to look at, it is morelikely to be read. The other is to aid in the organization of information. A readershould be able to instantly understand the way the information is organized, the logi-cal flow from one item to another. The contrasting elements should never serve toconfuse the reader or to create a focus that is not supposed to be a focus.

How to Get ItAdd contrast through your typeface choices, line thicknesses, colors shapes, sizes,space, etc. It is easy to find ways to add contrast, and it’s probably the most fun andsatisfying way to add visual interest. The important thing is to be strong.

What to Avoid• Wimpiness. If you’re going to contrast, do it with strength. Avoid contrasting a sort-of-heavy line with a sort-of-heavier line. Avoid using two or more typefaces that aresimilar. If the items are not exactly the same, make them very different!

Designing with Type

25

Type is the basic building block of any printed page. Often it is irresistibly compellingand sometimes absolutely imperative to design a page with more than one typefaceon it. But how do you know which typefaces work effectively together?

In life, when there is more than one of anything, a dynamic relationship is established.In type, there is usually more than one element on a page- even a document of plainbody copy typically has heads or subheads or at least page numbers on it. Withinthese dynamics on the page, a relationship is established that is either concordant, conflicting or contrasting.

A concordant relationship occurs when you use only one type family, without muchvariety in style, weight, size and so on. It is easy to keep the page harmonious, andthe arrangement trends to appear quite and rather sedate or formal - and sometimes,downright dull.

A conflicting relationship occurs when you combine typefaces that are similar instyle, size, weight and so on. The similarities are disturbing because the visual attrac-tions are not the same (concordant), but neither are they different (contrasting) sothey conflict.

A contrasting relationship occurs when you combine separate typefaces and ele-ments that are clearly distinct from each other. The visually appealing and excitingdesigns that attract your attention typically have a lot of contrast built in and the con-trasts are emphasized.

Most people tend to wing it when it comes to combining more than one typeface ona page. You might have a sense that one face needs to be larger or an element needsto be bolder. However,when you can recognize and name the contrasts, you havepower over them - you can then get to the root of the conflicting problem faster andfind more interesting solutions.

Designing with Type

26

Concord

A design is concordant when you choose to use just one face the the other elementson the page have the same qualities as that typeface. Perhaps you use some of theitalic version and perhaps you use a larger size for a heading and perhaps you use agraphic or several ornaments - but the basic impression is still concordant.

Most concordant designs tend to be calm and formal. This does not mean concordis undesirable, just be aware of the impression you are giving by using elements thatare all in concord with each other.

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

and then is heard no more; it is a taletold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

signifying nothing.

" The concordant example uses Elegant Garamond. The first letter is larger and there is some italic type (Elegant Garamond Italic) but the entire piece is rather subdued.

Hello!My name is:

My theme song is:

My favorite color is:

" The heavy typeface combines well with the the heavy border. Even the line forwriting on is a bit heavy.

!You are cordially invited to share in our

wedding celebrationPopeye & Olive Oyl

April 13 o’clock in the afternoon

Berkely Square

" The script type face, thin border and the delicate ornaments all give the same style impression.

!

Designing with Type

27

Conflict

A design is in conflict when you set two or more typefaces on the same page that aresimilar - not really different and not really the same. Concord is a solid and usefulconcept; conflict should be avoided.


and then is heard no more; it is a taletold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

signifying nothing.

" What happens when you get to “full of sound and fury?” Do you wonder why it is another typeface? Do you wonder if perhaps it is a mistake. Does it make you twitch? Does the large initial letter look like it is supposed to be there?

What’s Up?My name is:

My theme song is:


" Look at the “a,” “t,” and the “s” in the headline and the other lines. They are similar, by not the same. The border is not the same visual weight as the type or the lines, nor are they in strong contrast.

!You are cordially invited to share in our

wedding celebration"

Popeye & Olive Oyl

"April 1

3 o’clock in the afternoonBerkely Square

" This invitation uses two different scripts - they are not the same - but are not that different. The ornaments have the same type of conflict.

Designing with Type

28

Contrast

Now this is the fun part. Creating concord is pretty easy - and creating conflict isundesirable. Creating contrast is just plain fun. Strong contrast attracts our eyes, asyou learned in the previous section about design. One of the most effective, simplestand satisfying ways to add contrast to a design is with type.


and then is heard no more; it is a taletold by an idiot,

full of sound and fury,signifying nothing.

" In this example, it’s very clear that “full of sound and fury” is supposed to be a different typeface. The entire piece of prose has a more exciting visual attraction and a greater energy due to the contrast of type.

Hello!My name is:

My theme song is:


" Now the contrast between the typefaces is clear - the very bold face contrasts the very light face. The line weights of the border and writing lines also have a clear distinction.

You are cordially invited to come to our garden party

Popeye & Olive Oyl

April 13 o’clock in the afternoonBerkely Square

" This invitation uses two different faces. The graphic picks up the strength of the dark typeface,adding contrast to the script and creating a repetitive touch.

#

Contrasting Type

29

By varying size, weight, structure, direction and color, you can use easily contrast type- not only for the aesthetic appeal, but also to enhance the communication.

See the following examples:

Size

D O N ’ T B E A

WIMPA N O T H E R

newsletterVolume 1 • Number 1 January • 2007

" Decide on the typographic item you want as a focus. Emphasize it with contrasts.

" If other typographic elements have to be there, but aren’t really that important, make them small - who really cares about the volume or issue number - still readable - but not 12 point type!

A contrast of size is fairly obvious, big type vs. little type. To make a contrast of size workeffectively you cannot contrast 12 pt. type with 14 pt. type or 72 pt. type with 60 pt.type. If you’re going contrast two types by size - then make it obvious - don’t let yourreader think it is a mistake.

Ha Ha - made you look.

Five almost angst-rid-den pawnbrokerslaughed. The quixoticpoisons telephonedtwo very purple mats.The slightly bourFiveorifices tickled twomats, yet five lamp-

Five almost angst-rid-den pawnbrokerslaughed. The quixoticpoisons telephonedtwo very purple mats.The slightly bourFiveorifices tickled twomats, yet five lamp-

" If you came across this full page in a newspaper, would you read that small type in the middle? Contrast does that.

WagnerI N C O R P O R A T E D

" Sometimes the contrast of big over little can beoverwhelming, overpowering the smaller type. Use that toyour advantage. Who wants to notice the word “incorpo-rated” anyway. Although it’s small, it’s certainly not invisibleso it’s there for those who need to read it.

Contrasting Type

30

I recommend that you try to stay away from using all caps - if you’re using them tomake the type larger - ironically, when type is set in all caps it can be up to twice aslong as the same words set in lowercase so you have to make the point size smaller. Ifyou make the text lowercase, you can actually set in a much larger point size, plus it’smore readable as well.

TOAD HALL PUBLISHING

Toad and RatPublishers

West Bank • London

Toad Hall Publishing

Toad and RatPublishers

West Bank • London

" This title is 14 point type. That’s the largest I can make it in this space with all caps.

" By making the title lowercase, I could enlarge it to 20 point type, plus there’s room to make it bold.

Travel TipsTake twice as much moneyas you thing you’ll need.

Take half as much clothingas you think you’ll need.

Don’t event bother taking theaddresses of the people who expect you to write.

123

" If you use an item in an unusual size, see if you can repeat that concept elsewhere in the publication to create and attractive and useful repetition.

Contrasting Type

31

Weight

The weight of a typeface refers to the thickness of the the strokes. Most type familiesare designed in a variety of weights, regular, bold, semi bold, extra bold or light. Whencombining weights, remember the rule: don’t be a wimp. Don’t contrast regularweight with a semi-bold, go for the stronger bold. If you are combining type from twodifferent families, one face will usually be bolder than the other, so emphasize it.

Most of the typefaces that come with your computer have a very strong bold in its fam-ily. I would encourage you to invest in a least one very strong black face. Lookthrough type catalogs to find one. A contrast of weight is one of the easiest and mosteffective ways to add visual interest to a page without re-designing a thing.

Stone SansStone Semi-BoldStone Bold

Elegant GaramondElegant Garamond ItalElegant Garamond Bold

Gill Sans LightGill SansGill Ultra Bold

" These are examples of the various weights that usually come within a family.

Contrasting of weight makes a page more attractive to your eyes and is one of the mosteffective ways of organizing information. Contrast weights when you want to makeyour newsletter heads and subheads bolder. Take a look at the example below:

Contents:

Introductions 9

Furry Tells 17Ladle Rat Rotten Hut 19Guilty Looks 21Center Alley 27

Nosier Rams 33Marry Hatter Ladle Limb 35Sinker Sucker Socks Pants 37Effervescent 39

Fey Mouse Tells 41Casing Adder Bet 43Violate Huskings 47

Contrasting Type

32

Structure

The structure of type refers to how it is built. There are six basic categories of type:• Oldstyle - based on hand lettering - always have serifs and lower case serifs are at an

angleGoudy Palatino Century Old Style Garamond Bookman Oldstyle

• Modern - have serifs - but the serifs are now horizontal and they are thin.

Modern Basekerville Bodini American Typewriter Onyx

• Slab Serif - have serifs - vertical lines and the serifs on the lower case letters are thickRockwell Extra Century Schoolbook BBllaacckkooaakk

• Sans Serif - have no serifsGill Sans Century Gothic Futura Stone Sans Myriad Pro Bold

• Decorative

Khaki Two Braggadoci Desdemona Cracked Eccentric std.

• Script - Type faces that appear to have been hand lettered with a calligraphy penApple Chancery Lucida Handwriting Edwardian Script

Each of the categories is founded on structures - and you are well on your way to contrasting if you select type faces from two or more categories.

The law of type is that you must pull two faces from two different categories of type.That is you can use two serifs as long as one is an oldstyle and one is modern or a slabserif. Even then you must be careful and you must emphasize contrasts. Never put twotypefaces from the same category on the page and as a rule - limit the number of typefaces you use to two - three is tops.

LIFEYour attitudeis your

" Two serifs together - but notice how each face has a different structure - one is Modern - the other a slabserif.

MAXIMIZEyour options

" Two san serifs - but one is a mono weight and the other has a thick, thin transition

Contrasting TypeDirection

An obvious interpretation of type “direction” is type on a slant. But take a look at theseexamples to see how direction can help you develop contrast.

One quite irascible aardvark kissesfive lampstands. The almost putridMacintoshes laughed, yet one fountain perused umpteenspeedy aardvarks. Two wart hogscomfortably sacrificed umpteenquixotic dogs.


Thrilling Sub HeadFive partly quixotic televisions quiteeasily abused one cat, however thechrysanthemums untangles twoextremely speedy botulisms. Five poi-sons fights umpteen aardvarks.

Two obese mats comfortably tele-phoned one botulism, yet the putridtelevisions grew up. One angst-rid-den pawnbroker towed umpteenmostly. The chrysanthemums ran

One quite irascible aardvark kissesfive lampstands. The almost putridMacintoshes laughed, yet one foun-tain perused umpteen speedy aard-varks. Two wart hogs comfortablysacrificed umpteen quixotic dogs.

Five partly quixotic televisions quiteeasily abused one cat, however thechrysanthemums untangles twoextremely speedy botulisms. Fivepoisons fights umpteen aardvarks.Two obese mats comfortably tele-phoned one botulism, yet the putridtelevisions grew up.One angst-ridden pawnbrokertowed umpteen mostly. One botu-lism telephoned the subway, eventhough one aardvark bought theJabberwockies, because dwarvestastes one subway, but Jupiter fightsKlingons. Santa Claus bought twospeedy lampstands. One mat tastesputrid sheep, and five poisons fights

almost progressive dwarves,although two quixotic botulismskisses the wart hog. Umpteenspeedy tickets gossips noisily, eventhough five botulisms telephonedone very quixotic dog, because tele-

anot

her

new

slet

ter!

Long Headline Spans Both Columns

Second Interesting Long Headline

teaches you torecognizea mistake - whenyou’ve made it again.

Experience

" If you have a layout that has the potential for a contrast ofdirection, emphasize it. Perhaps use an extended type-face in the horizontal direction and a tall typeface in the vertical direction. Emphasize the vertical by adding extraline space and narrower columns than you perhaps originally planned on.

! Sometimes a strong re-direction of type creates a dramatic impact or a unique format - which is a goodjustification for its use.

TO THE TOP!

" Slanting upward to the right creates a positive energy. Typeslanting downward creates negative energy.

Contrasting Type

34

Color

Just as obvious as direction - color has obvious interpretation. A couple of things tokeep in mind. Warm colors (reds, golds, oranges) come forward and command ourattention. Our eyes are very attracted to warm colors,so it takes very little red to cre-ate a contrast. Cool colors (blues and greens) on the other hand, recede from oureyes. You can get away with larger areas of cool color. You need more of a coolcolor to create effective contrast.

Don’t underestimate the use of black and white as “color” - black and white is sophis-ticated and creates great contrast.

TristinFLORENCE

TristinFLORENCE

TristinFLORENCE

TristinFLORENCE

! Even though the name “Tristin” is much smaller, it is dominant because of the red color

! Now the larger name in the warm color overpowers.You usually want to avoid this.

! See how it disappears in blue.

! To contrast with a cool color effectively, you generally need to use more of it.

Photos and Images

35

Stock photography can be one of the most expensive parts of your design. Findingthe right photo will certainly enhance your message - but using the wrong photocan cause “collateral damage!”

When searching for a photo remember: Who is my audience? Who am Itrying to attract. If you market is an older adult, be very careful with your photoselection. Remember that “Old is always 15 years older than you are right now.”Many older adults, when looking at photos of senior citizens, will immediately dismiss the photo as “that is not me.”

Size and Resolution: Make sure the size and resolution of the photo match thetype of collateral you are producing. If you are producing a brochure or flyer -anything that needs to be printed, make sure your are using a resolution of 300dpi. If you are working on a website, the resolution for the photo only needs to be72 dpi. You cannot take a 72 dpi into a program like photoshop and make it 300dpi.

If you are working with a horizontal space for an image, make sure the image ishorizontal - trying to stretch a vertical image to fit into a horizontal space will distort the image. Never stretch, always crop the image to fit.

! The width of both of these photos is the same. The length is different. In the photo on the right, the photohas been stretched to fit in the box and the photo is distorted.

In the top photo, the image has been cropped to fit in the space and the photo retains its properties.

Photos and Images

36

Stock PhotographyStock photography consists of existing photographs that can be licensed for specif-ic uses. Publishers, advertising agencies, graphic artists, and others use stock pho-tography to fulfill the needs of their creative assignments.

A customer who uses stock photography instead of hiring a photographer can savetime and money, but can also sacrifice creative control. Stock images can be pre-sented in searchable online databases, purchased online, and delivered via down-load or email.

Rights Managed vs. Royalty FreeWith Rights Managed stock photography an individual licensing agreement isnegotiated for each use. Rights-Managed Images cost anywhere from one or twohundred dollars for use in a small brochure, to many thousands for national adver-tising. The price of the picture is determined by how you want to use the picture.

Generally, the fee you will be charged is based upon the scope of your project--and the permission you receive to use the picture will be limited to that which isoutlined on the invoice.

Royalty-free stock photography offers a photo buyer the ability to use an image inan unlimited number of ways for a single license fee. Royalty-Free Images are mostoften priced based upon digital file size, and have no concern with how you areactually going to use the images.

The smaller the file size you purchase, the less you can do with the image, so, thelower the fee. For example, an image delivered to you in a 600 KB file size is finefor website use, or perhaps a multimedia presentation, but would not be sufficient-ly detailed to allow any print use (brochures, ads, etc.) So they are sold at lowprices. A 10 MB file is fine for print uses up to a point (with that point being,often, a printed size of 5" X 7"). Therefore, under the theory that that use is moresubstantial than a website use, the fee for the image in that file size is higher.

Most stock photography sites will let you download a “comp” which is a water-marked image that will allow you to see if the image will work in your design.These “comps” are very low resolution. When you determine if the image willwork or not, then you can purchase the image with the best resolution for the col-lateral you are producing.

Free ImagesYou can find “free”images by searching Google under the images tab. Search thesame way you would for website, just click the images tab along the top. You willfind some copywrited images - but there are plenty of free images there as well.Watch the resolutions, many of them won’t work in your print advertising but arefine for e-mail and web marketing!

Photos and Images

37

Suggested Stock Photography Resources

BigStockPhoto.comhttp://www.bigstockphoto.comThis site hosts over 3 million photos - many of which can be purchased for $1-$2

iStockPhoto.comhttp://www.istockphoto.comHouses millions of photos at very affordable prices. High resolution photos for$10-$12 each

Getty Imageshttp://www.gettyimages.comCD collections, higher priced images. More rights-managed options.

Jupiter Imageshttp://www.jupiterimages.comCD collections, higher priced images. More rights-managed options.

Suggested Type Resources

Adobe.comhttp://www.adobe.com

Fonts.comhttp://www.fonts.com

Veerhttp://www.veer.comCD collections, type collections

Getting It Printed

38

Digital Printing

Less expensive: Digital printing is a direct-to-paper printing process. As a result,it often runs about one-half of the cost of press printing.

Lose color accuracy: Digital printing is a four-color printing process. Four colors,cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, are printed in tiny dots that when visuallymixed together, create various colors. This, in addition to the different set-ups andsettings on the machines from press-to-press, batch-to-batch and printer-to-printer,can produce a wide range of different color results. You can never be certain whatyou'll get.

Lose color range: Four-color printing has limitations on the brightness, saturation,and range of colors available, when mixing colors in this way. To produce brightreds, oranges, blues, and purples, especially, press printing is a better choice.

Cost of proofing: Proofing is one way to produce accurate color. Proofing can becostly, especially when compared to the overall cost of the job. But, since the proofis created on the same equipment that the final job is printed on, it is often quiteaccurate.

Can be faster: Since no pre-press work or press setup is needed, running your jobon a digital press can be faster, depending on how many jobs the printer has in thequeue before yours. Some printers can even offer same-day service. Three days is astandard turnaround time for many of the web-based digital printing companies.

Limited paper choice: Digital presses can only accommodate a limited paperthickness, and many digital printing companies only offer smooth, white papers.Thus, if a thick business card is important to you, then digital printing is not yourright choice.

Limited finishing choices: Foil stamping, metallic inks, and embossing services areusually not offered by digital printing houses. Some digital printers also do not offerdie-cutting or special folding services.

Limited choice of material sizes, styles, and formats: Digital printers will offera very specific "menu" or range of products. If you want to create innovativemarketing materials, such as the brochure-style business cards that we create at elfdesign, then digital printing is not a choice for your project. Large formats are alsonot available with many digital printers, as the largest paper size they canaccommodate is 11" x 17.”

Getting It Printed

39

Press Printing

More costly: The difference in costs is mainly due to setup costs. For press printing,films must be produced, and plates may have to be produced as well, which are addi-tional items that add to the overall cost. Additional time is involved in setting up andaligning the press, as well as washing the press. Also, there are more overruns fromtraditional printing, since you cannot program in a specific number of pages to beprinted as you can with a digital printer. Most printers consider overruns to be bill-able, or they add an additional cost for that into the initial estimate. Jobs done on apress will typically run about twice the cost of digital printing.

Excellent color accuracy: The Pantone Matching System (PMS) offers great coloraccuracy. Pantone colors are mixed to precise, pre-set specifications, which areprinted each year in their color matching guides. You can consult these books to seeexactly what the final color will look like in advance. It's a lot like going to the paintstore and specifying colors for your home on the paint chips they offer — you knowwhat you'll get. So, if color accuracy is important to you, then press printing may bethe best choice.

Brighter colors are available: Since the Pantone colors are mixed using inks, theycan be created to be much brighter and more intense. So, if lively colors are impor-tant to your brand image, then press printing may be the way to go.

Cost of proofing: For four-color press jobs, proofing is often not too expensivewhen compared to the overall cost of the job. However, it can be inaccurate, depend-ing on the type of proof run and the type of press on which your final job will beprinted. For two- or three- color jobs printed using the Pantone system, completecolor proofing is often not available. However, samples of the colors are available inthe Pantone books. And, inexpensive laser prints or inkjet prints can be created toview the positioning of the elements of the page. With a little imagination, you canvisualize how the final job will look.

Press printing can take longer than digital: There are several additional stepsinvolved in press printing, which are taken care of using direct-to-press, digitaltechnology. Films and plates must be made, the press set up, run the job and thentune us needed for drying. Then cutting, folding, and other finishing must takeplace.

Types of paper: Choose from an entire rainbow of paper colors — fire-engine redto deep blue, sunflower yellow to pitch black. There is also a wide range of thickness-es and textures from which to choose, including specialty papers, such as vellum andmetallic papers. If you are considering using nontraditional paper your card or materi-als, press printing is the best way to go.

Getting It Printed

40

Press Printing cont.

Wide range of finishing techniques: All finishing options are possible with pressprinting. Metallic inks can be run through the press as easily as can a nonmetallicink. Embossing, die cutting, and foil stamping can be done in traditional printinghouses. You can create materials that really stand out using these techniques.

Innovative formats, shapes, and sizes are possible: Traditional press printingcan accommodate a wide range of paper sizes and can result in innovative and creative finished projects. This is largely due to the "have-it-your-way" range ofoptions, where you can specify special sizes and finishing techniques.

Source: Erin Ferree, http://EzineArticles.com

On-line Digital Printing Resources:• Vista Print: www.vistaprint.com• Willy Walt: www.willywalt.com• UPrinting: www.uprinting.com

collateral damage · • contrast • repetition • alignment • proximity let’s get started!...

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